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You are here: Home / Hacks / The Complete List of Convincing, Unique, and Legitimate Excuses

The Complete List of Convincing, Unique, and Legitimate Excuses

January 17, 2012 By Joel Runyon 50 Comments

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[this space intentionally left blank]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

—

Now get over yourself and go do something.

[h/t to Lach]
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Filed Under: Hacks, The Impossible

About Joel Runyon

I started IMPOSSIBLE to push myself to try to live a life worth writing about by pushing my limits, living an adventure & telling a great story by doing the impossible. You can get free updates in your inbox via your new favorite newsletter, free fitness training tutorials, and see all my businesses at Impossible X and our philanthropic efforts at Impossible.org

Comments

  1. Paul says

    January 17, 2012 at 11:04 am

    Ha ha I love it! Thanks Joel.

    Reply
  2. Cat says

    January 17, 2012 at 11:11 am

    Scratched my head then the light bulb came on! Very nice.

    Reply
    • Joel Runyon says

      February 3, 2012 at 3:32 am

      🙂

      Reply
  3. Kari says

    January 17, 2012 at 11:16 am

    Awesome. Just awesome.

    Reply
  4. Jen says

    January 17, 2012 at 12:16 pm

    I am going to make sure I have copies posted here at home for the 6 kids to see and, at work as inspiration.

    Reply
    • Joel Runyon says

      February 3, 2012 at 3:32 am

      Your kids are going to hate me.

      Reply
  5. Faaz says

    January 17, 2012 at 12:47 pm

    Best. Post. Ever.

    Reply
    • Joel Runyon says

      February 3, 2012 at 3:33 am

      Ever! :p

      Reply
  6. Rob says

    January 17, 2012 at 12:50 pm

    That’s great! I thought for a second that my browser was still loading some humungo graphic, well played Joel.

    Reply
    • Joel Runyon says

      February 3, 2012 at 3:33 am

      Ha, thanks!

      Reply
  7. Morgan McLeod says

    January 17, 2012 at 12:54 pm

    Good article, Joel. There are a few things I don’t agree with though:

    1)

    Reply
    • Joel Runyon says

      February 3, 2012 at 3:33 am

      Haha. Well played Morgan. Well played!

      Reply
  8. Mark Henson says

    January 17, 2012 at 1:02 pm

    Joel, that’s awesome. I wrote a post earlier this week called “Lose your BUT.” Same idea, but even though your post didn’t say anything, you said it way better than I did! Ha ha!

    Also got passed this great video link the other day. It’s older, but man, is it powerful. It’s Art Williams’ “Just Do It” speech. Has nothing to do with Nike or shoes and everything to do with what you said (or didn’t say, I guess) above. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2uFH0NCMY4

    Reply
  9. Lach says

    January 17, 2012 at 2:19 pm

    Flattered 😉

    Reply
    • Joel Runyon says

      February 3, 2012 at 3:33 am

      Wonderful inspiration I had :p

      Reply
  10. William says

    January 17, 2012 at 2:20 pm

    What few words it takes to make such a HUGE statement. Well played sir well played!!

    Reply
  11. chris gerard says

    January 17, 2012 at 3:17 pm

    I thought ‘maybe he’s trying to make an excuse to get out of posting…’

    But seriously, way to say a lot by saying a (very) little.

    Reply
  12. Patrick Hitches says

    January 17, 2012 at 4:40 pm

    What about …. Oh, yup you covered them all! ha niiiiice post my man!

    Reply
  13. Chris says

    January 17, 2012 at 5:03 pm

    You forgot being a coma… thats a pretty valid excuse.
    Other than that great list

    Reply
    • Joel Runyon says

      February 3, 2012 at 3:34 am

      We’ll have to test that theory…

      Reply
  14. Dr. Pete says

    January 17, 2012 at 6:27 pm

    Haha – love it. The worst excuses have a grain of truth, and that’s exactly what makes them so dangerous.

    Reply
  15. Gary S says

    January 18, 2012 at 1:08 am

    Absolutely, brilliant!

    Reply
  16. Chris Harris | Between the Temples says

    January 18, 2012 at 1:58 am

    Good call on the list- a stark reminder about excuses.

    Reply
  17. Marcus says

    January 18, 2012 at 11:58 am

    Epic!

    Reply
  18. Laszlo says

    January 18, 2012 at 10:47 pm

    This is a great post! :-)))))))))

    Reply
  19. Jenine Beecher says

    January 19, 2012 at 2:10 pm

    brilliant!

    Reply
  20. Daryl Bredenkamp says

    January 21, 2012 at 5:27 am

    I agree, mostly. There is one legitimate excuse you left out – your own death. I understand the reluctance to put that in there though. LOL

    Reply
    • Joel Runyon says

      February 3, 2012 at 3:38 am

      I think you get a pass when you die :).

      Reply
  21. Hiten says

    January 21, 2012 at 11:31 am

    Very creative post Joel, and very true as well!

    Reply
  22. Todd Kuslikis says

    February 3, 2012 at 4:40 pm

    This is awesome Joel!! Love it!!

    Reply
  23. Santiago says

    April 28, 2012 at 9:42 pm

    Joel, I agree with what you wrote… nothing 😀

    We human beings will never run out of excuses. Our lizard brain loves to create them and even more to indulge in them. But the truth is that the immense majority of us can do something… ANYTHING, during the spare time we have to work towards achieving something “impossible”.

    You know, I feel grateful. I am healthy and have all my limbs. I can, well… move, and even type this. I have a laptop and access to the Internet, and I can use it to build something that matters to me; to do work that I know will make a difference.

    Sometimes I think that anybody can live a personal legend… but then I find cases like the following one. The video is in Spanish, but I read you are fluent in Spanish… así que si tienes algo de tiempo te pido que por favor le des una mirada:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JxKHH45v6o

    Can a person in such a situation: Unable to move, prostrated in a bed, in terrible pain, completely dependent on others and only able to communicate through blinks… be able to do something impossible?

    Reply
  24. Carlos Ramos says

    August 23, 2012 at 2:04 pm

    Best. List. Ever.

    Reply
    • Tmc says

      September 9, 2012 at 10:32 pm

      Great list!!

      Reply
  25. Kym Williams says

    November 23, 2013 at 7:16 pm

    LOL I refreshed the page 3x thinking the page wouldn’t load. Good reminder. There are none. Looks like the ones I’ve been using are hogwash!

    Reply

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